Beaver Creek Will Debut Hybrid Chair-Gondola Lift This Season

BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (CBS4) – Colorado skiers and snowboarders will have a unique option when riding up the mountain at Beaver Creek this year.

The resort is installing a combination lift that features a 10-person gondola after every five chairs.

The new lift will increase capacity up to 35 percent and will allow ski school classes to ride the gondola while more experienced skiers can choose chairs.

“What would be the best product for Beaver Creek? And we came up with the combination lift so it would help our ski school guests and regular guests,” Phillip Patterson, director of lift maintenance at Beaver Creek, said.

Workers on the ground were busy this week installing new lift posts ferried in by helicopter. The cable is being shipped from Italy and will arrive next month.

The lift, which will be operational during the summer, is expected to be ready for Beaver Creek’s opening day on Thanksgiving.